Monday 21 February 2011 06.09 EST
First published on Monday 21 February 2011 06.09 EST

Bernie Ecclestone will hold talks with the crown prince of Bahrain today over whether next month's grand prix will go ahead. There is a possibility that the season-opening event on 13 March will be cancelled or postponed in light of the pro-democracy protests across the Gulf kingdom.

Ecclestone, the Formula One commercial rights holder, is planning to speak with Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. "Nothing at all has changed since yesterday, or the day before, or the day before that," Ecclestone said. "Sometime, a little later on this afternoon, I shall be speaking to the crown prince, and then we can make some decisions as to exactly what we want to do."

Uppermost in the mind are the threats emanating from anti-government protesters that the race will be targeted. Demonstrators camped at what has become the hub of the protests, Pearl Square in the capital Manama, have spoken of their fury at the crown prince's fears of losing the race rather than expressing concerns for the people of Bahrain, with six shot dead last week.

As reported in the Times, the protester Mohammed Nimah said: "His precious Formula One is more important than the blood of his people which he spilt. We put pressure on the Formula One contract, the crown prince got scared and now he wants to negotiate."

Another protester, Hasan Dhani, said: "There is a big connection between [the uprising] and Formula One. The race has been the prince's dream since he was a child. He wants to negotiate so he can fulfil this dream, and it makes me sad his dream is more dear to him than the needs of his people."

From within the sport, only Mark Webber has voiced his opposition to the race taking place. "It's probably not the best time to go there for a sporting event," the Australian said. "They have bigger things, bigger priorities."